An example of an ice maker apparatus for forming ice pieces and delivering them to a storage receptacle is illustrated in Letters U S. Pat. No. 3,299,656 of William J. Linstromberg et al., which patent is owned by the assignee hereof. As shown therein, an ice mold is provided wherein crescent-shaped ice pieces are formed. These ice pieces are elongated, in that they have a length which is substantially greater than their height or width.
It has been found that a problem arises in dispensing such elongated ice pieces from conventional ice dispensing mechanisms, in that the number of ice pieces dispensed with each operation of the mechanism varies to an undesirable degree. This non-uniform dispensing rate is believed to be due to the fact that elongated ice pieces can enter and be retained in conventional ice dispensing mechanisms in a variety of different orientations, resulting in a wide variation in the number of such ice pieces being transferred and dispensed during each operation of the dispensing mechanism. The present invention is concerned with the problem of transferring such elongated ice pieces from a storage receptacle to a dispensing position in a manner which facilitates dispensing at a uniform rate.
Illustratively, Letters U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,7Z5 of William J. Buchser, which patent is owned by the assignee hereof, discloses an ice dispensing apparatus for use in a domestic refrigerator having an ice maker and an ice storage receptacle. As illustrated, ice cubes are delivered from the storage receptacle to a dispensing position by means of a rotatable tubular drum having an internal helical auger blade. The length of the drum is substantially greater than the length of the ice piece to be dispensed, and metering means is provided at the inlet to the drum.
Another ice dispensing apparatus is illustrated in Letters U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,527 of William J. Linstromberg et al., which patent is also owned by the assignee hereof. As illustrated therein, ice cubes are delivered by a transfer means from the storage receptacle to an ice dispensing position either in the form of crushed ice or integral whole ice cubes. As shown in that patent, the transfer means comprises a rotatable auger blade disposed within a tubular drum opening to the ice storage receptacle and having a length which is greater than the length of the ice piece to be dispensed.
Another form of ice dispenser is illustrated in Letters U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,244 of Robert J. Alvarez et al. As disclosed therein, the dispenser includes a rotatable dispensing drum within the ice storage receptacle. The dispensing means includes a metering section adapted to dispense a predetermined number of ice cubes and includes means for scooping ice cubes from the receptacle and storing the ice cubes at a rate in excess of that at which the ice cubes are dispensed.
Thus, as shown, the transfer means may be selectively disposed within the storage receptacle or adjacent thereto as desired.